Thursday, November 26, 2009

I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am not going to attempt to list it all here. I just want to thank you for reading this. Thanks to those who comment (and leave their name). Thanks to My Savior, Jesus Christ.

I pray that today you and your family take time to tell the Lord thanks for all He has done for you. I hope you will take time to tell those around you that you are thankful for them. I hope you will not allow this to be a one day event but that we all will be more thankful year round.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Our staff spent some time this week planning and preparing for 2010. We had a great time together and laughed, worked, and even cried a little. I am truly excited about what God has in store for us in 2010.

I shared with our staff some of what God has been telling me as I have been preparing for next year. We read 1 Kings 18 through 19:18. God's people had been experiencing a drought. It had not rained for three years, but God's man, Elijah, told them to get ready, rain was coming.

I challenged our staff to be ready for God's rain at Midtowne this year. I believe that this third year of our church is going to be a very pivotal year. This could be a "make or break" year for us and I am planning on it being the former. I truly believe that God is going to show us more of Himself and pour out more of His blessing on us than He ever has before. The past two years have been amazing but I'm convinced that, in the words of the great philosophers Bachman Turner Overdrive, we ain't seen nothing yet!

So What?

It's really simple this time. I want to ask you to pray with me for 2010. Pray that God would give us wisdom and boldness to follow Him. Pray that we would be ready when the rain comes. Pray about your role in what He wants to do this year. And remember to always give Him the glory for all of it.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Just finished Dirt09, a conference on creative elements in worship. I'm not a big conference fan because sometimes the information gets lost in the "big event." Sometimes conferences just feel like big religious pep rallies.

Pep rallies have their place. I am not against them. They are great for what they are. I remember in High School going to pep rallies before big football games and getting all hyped up and excited about the game that Friday night. It was big fun and everyone felt, at that moment, like they could take on any team in the world and win.

But the problem with pep rallies is that they end. They don't last long and when they are done, the emotions generated by them begin to fade almost immediately. The same can be true about Conferences. You leave after the closing session (pep rally) ready to take on the world only to find that those "feelings" begin to fade rather quickly.

Just like back in my High School football days, I have to take the things that I have learned and put them into action. A good football player can't ride the emotion of the pep rally very long. He has to rely on his coaching, skill, and heart. The same is true in living for God. We can't expect our church services, conferences, and other events to carry us far in our walk with God. We have to rely on our training from God's Word, coaching from His servants, the gifts His Spirit has given us, and a heart that has confidence in His mission for us.

So What?

Stand firm on the things you have gained from God, not on the feelings you get from going to the rally. Once again, nothing wrong with the rallies, they just won't sustain you in your walk. Discipline yourself to rally with God daily, not just when the big game is coming up or when the big event is coming to town. You'll be surprised at how much more you will experience God's Best in your life.

Why "So What"

So What is the ultimate question.If, after hearing someone teach or talk to you about anything, especially the Bible, you cannot answer that question, you have wasted your time. We have to be able to apply what we have heard to our life. It's not a disrespectful thing. It's not a selfish thing. It's simply a way to make sure that you are getting the most out of the time you put in to listening and learning.

About Me

Doug Pruitt is the Lead Pastor of Midtowne Church in Benton, Arkansas. Midtowne is a new church that seeks to show God's love to the community in practical ways. Check out the church's web site for more information at http://www.midtownechurch.com.